Products

Architect’s Favorite Products of 2013

A roundup of the objects and technology that caught our discerning eyes.

When asked to pick a favorite among the products and technology to cross their desks—or desktops—this year, the ARCHITECT staff provided and then some. The curated list proves to be as varied as the personalities that comprise our motley crew. After all, when it comes to products, can anyone bestow all of their praise on just one?

Credit: Maharam

Frame Bag, Konstanin Grcic for Maharam
The Frame Bag is handy as hell, handsome as all get, and sturdy to boot. Plus, it’s as simple as it is eye-catching. —Kriston Capps, senior editor, online

AirCarbon, Newlight Technologies
After spending much of his 20s in the laboratory, Newlight Technologies CEO and co-founder Mark Herrema, along with his team, found a way to sequester greenhouse gases in a polymer that performs on par with conventional plastic and is cost competitive. The result: a resin that can be used in applications such as injection molding, manufacturing, thermoforming, and extrusions. Here’s to hoping Herrema can rest a little easier in his 30s—though I doubt he will. —Wanda Lau, senior editor, products and technology

Credit: Kvadrat

Ready Made Curtain, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Kvadrat
DIY doesn’t always live up to its promise. Not everyone’s got the precision and persistence of a Martha Stewart. But it’s hard to picture anybody messing up an installation of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s Ready Made Curtain for Kvadrat. Wooden pegs and blocks, string, fabric—the kit of parts resonates with the simplicity and elegance of Froebel Gifts, the modest-but-iconic toys that Frank Lloyd Wright played with as a child. —Ned Cramer, editor-in-chief

Credit: Feix & Merlin

Spindle Pendants, Tarek Merlin for Feix & Merlin
These pendants combine past and present with an Edison bulb, vintage hardware, and a contemporary clear-glass shade. My favorite of the four available finishes is the simple and refined Charlotte Clear (shown). —Caroline Massie, assistant editor, online

Credit: A Sunny Afternoon Co.

Tea Towels, A Sunny Afternoon
The simple geometric graphic prints on these tea towels are what initially drew me to the A Sunny Afternoon product line. I also love that the products are designed and crafted in small batches by a father-daughter duo in Michigan. —Alice Ashe, senior graphic designer

Augment mobile app, Augment
Sometimes the built environment needs a little punch: Would the skyline look better with an Eiffel Tower added to it? Or an oscillating, oversized bear? Augment offers augmented reality in the form of a catalogue of 3D models that can be dropped into any situation using your smart phone’s built-in camera. Although the app was created as a marketing tool for products, it shows the possibilities of mixing the real and the unreal—the built with the speculative—in ways any architect could appreciate. —Deane Madsen, assistant editor, design

Aircone, Abstracta
This acoustic partition’s soothingly bold geometric pattern adds visual interest to a room without attracting too much attention. Aircone assembles using small clips, making it a fit for spaces of any size. —Jessica Rubenstein, graphic designer

Credit: Outlier Merino Co.

Pivot Shirt, Outlier Merino
This Brooklyn-based company believes that clothing should help, not hinder, movement. Its designers moved a restricting shoulder seam to the back of the classic button-down to create the Pivot Shirt, making it possible for men to do yoga during work hours. —Sara Johnson, assistant editor, online

Credit: Knoll

Skeleton, David Adjaye for Knoll
Architects have a knack for designing chairs, and David Adjaye is no exception. We featured his Skeleton chair for Knoll in our November issue and are still scheming to acquire one—or 15—of them for our office. Until then, I’ll admire from afar its cantilevered seat, lattice frame, and copper-plated finish designed to patina. Swoon. —Hallie Busta, associate editor, products and technology